Golf: Ko fights back in first pro round

Lydia Ko is in a tie for 30th after her first round as a professional.

Ko shot a one-under 71 to kick-start her bid for the LPGA Tour season-ending Titleholders tournament in Florida this morning.

Ko will be reasonably satisfied after finding herself three-over the card after seven holes, a poor start that included a double-bogey on the par four third.

Ko made another bogey at the seventh, missing a 2-foot putt for par.

"It was a silly mistake," Ko said. "I have a tendency to kind of jam the putt in with the short ones. I think I tried to do that, but on a slight downhill slope it was too much," she told the Golf Channel.

The 16-year-old promptly birdied the par three eighth and a tidy 33 on the inward nine put her back in contention for the tournament led by Germany's Sandra Gal at eight under.